Milone on unexpected opportunity to be opening day starter

This isn't how it was supposed to happen.

Tommy Milone didn't sign a minor league contract with the Orioles in February, a late arrival to their spring training camp in Sarasota, with the idea that he'd make the opening day start.

He just wanted to make the club.

In one of the sports' unpredictable and, depending on the depth of your sentimental slant, charming twists, Milone has gone from competing for the fifth spot in the rotation to leading it into the season. One of baseball's truly nice guys - as I kept hearing from people who worked with him in D.C. - receiving the perk of a professional lifetime.

Sports also can be cruel, of course, and Milone's reward came at the expense of John Means, who was denied the honor because he's entered a dead-arm period in camp.

Manager Brandon Hyde chose Milone based on his availability, with only one extra day of rest heading into Friday night's game in Boston, and the desire to avoid disrupting the other starters.

Hyde also gained confidence in Milone after watching him work this month, including two intrasquad games. At least what can be gleaned from competition against an opponent on the same team.

"I don't probably (know) the last time a non-roster invitee made an opening day start, so I don't know if that's going to be something that's in the record books or what that's about," Milone said this afternoon in a Zoom conference call with the media.

"But I'm definitely excited for the opportunity and ready to get going."

Milone couldn't wait to retrieve his phone and start spreading the news. A text message to his wife, his parents and assorted friends.

"It's obviously one of those things where it's probably going to be the only time that it happens," he said, "so you've got to take it as that and just be really excited about it."

Hyde told Milone about being the chosen one shortly before they boarded a bus yesterday for D.C. The reaction, according to Hyde, was priceless.

"I think what he was referring to was probably the big smile that I had on my face," Milone said. "It's obviously something I didn't expect coming in, but an honor anyway. I'm excited for this opportunity and like I keep saying, I'm ready to get going and get going and get it started."

Milone was still digesting the news, given maybe a week ago, that he made the club in whatever role assigned to him.

"It definitely kind of fast-forwarded real quickly into being an opening day starter," he said. "But I'm happy with it and ready to move forward."

Milone will be making his sixth career start against the Red Sox and first since July 24, 2016. He's 0-3 with a 9.26 ERA and 2.057 WHIP in 23 1/3 innings. He's surrendered 13 home runs, his second-highest total against any opponent.

Four of the starts came at Fenway Park, where he allowed 19 earned runs (26 total) and 33 hits in 18 1/3 innings.

"I think probably not worried about what happened in the past would be the best idea," he said. "Things happen. It's been a long time since I've been there, definitely a lot of new faces. But it's not going to help anything to dwell on what's happened in the past there, so I just need to take what I've been doing here, what I've been successful with in the past couple years now, take it into there and have confidence in myself that I'm going to do the job."

How he's envisioning an opening day atmosphere is made challenging with fans unable to attend. And it tends to get pretty loud at Fenway Park.

"You think of opening day, you think of a full ballpark, a lot of cheering a lot of fans and I'm going to go out there and you're not going to see anybody in the seats besides a couple of the players that are in the stands," Milone said. "It's definitely going to be different, but either way opening day is an honor and it's always something to look forward to, so that's what I'm doing. Looking forward to it and ready to get going."